4-H club reports showcase happenings in club programs!

4-H club reporters share highlights from their monthly meetings. New club reports added here each month. To submit a report, e-mail fergu029@umn.edu.

Cloverleaf, November 2018The Cloverleaf Club had an active November. We held a club meeting on the eighth, accompanied by a demo on Chinese Tangrams and fortune cookies in the spirit of our year’s theme: Global Connections. Also at the club meeting, the Clint Paulson Purple Ribbon Award was given to Maria Brounstein, Ian Brostrom, and Ashley Boros. At the county Celebration of Youth Excellence Banquet Maggie Brostrom won the Advanced Youth Leadership Award, and Rebecca Marti received the I Dare You Award. Congratulations to them and all the other winners! Our annual Thanksgiving Food Baskets took place November 17th. We filled nearly two hundred boxes with yummy foods including: turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberries, bread, candy, apples, cereal, and cake mix. We then got to give the boxes to those most in need in our community. Next month, we look forward to a Mexican Christmas Potluck Planning Party on December 13th!. We also look forward to our annual Christmas Food Baskets and caroling day on December 22nd!Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, October 2018The Cloverleaf Club had a fun and busy October! On October 6, we held our semi-annual fall ditch clean-up. Finds included golf balls, car parts, an unopened package of mints, and dead animals. On October 11, our new officers held their first meeting and created the Club Charter for the year. County Club Olympics on the 13th was a hit as always, with Cloverleaf having multiple teams and taking home gold. Our St. Francis Food Drive bag pick-up was on the 14th. We collected lots of bags full of donations, and had fun doing it! We look forward to the upcoming holidays and doing Epiphany Food Baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We will also be following our Global Connections theme and having a Mexican Christmas Potluck on December 13!Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, October 2018The Lamplighters started October with their monthly meeting, which was held October 7th at the Andover YMCA. We started off the meeting with a demonstration about lifting finger prints. Then we voted for new officer positions. Congratulations to our new officers: President - Megan N; Vice president - Logan; Secretary - Libbie; Treasurer – John; Reporter - William; Historians - Alex, Nico, Taylor, Alexander, and Daniel. We ended the meeting with a recreation, where we played a team building game called the human knot. A small group grabs each other’s hands like a knot a try to untangle them self’s without letting go of each other’s hands. Later In the month, our club did two of our major community services activities, highway cleanup and Coon Creek cleanup. For highway cleanup we picked the trash along the road in front of Rum River Elementary school. For coon creek cleanup we picked up the trash under the bridges. We also had two teams participating in Club Olympics. With one of our teams crushing the competition getting 1st place. Overall, we had a fun month and we are looking forward to November.Submitted by William Lewandowski, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, September 2018The Cloverleaf Club year has begun again! There are great things in store for the 2018/19 year! The club theme was voted to be Global Connections. Bench, banner, and demos will revolve around this theme. We are going to learn a lot! On the September 13th meeting, club elections were held. President: Maria Brounstein. Vice President: Rebecca Marti. Secretary: Brooke Paulson. Treasurers: Eva Meyers, Ian Brsotrom. Sergeants-at-arms: Gabrielle Brounstein, Caleb Brostrom, Maggie Brostrom, AnnElise Brsotrom. Reporter: Maria Brounstein. Cloverbud leaders: Gianna Brostrom, Jayda Francis. Game Leaders: Joseph Brounstein, Daniel Marti. Greeter: Katie Marti. These awesome officers will lead the Cloverleaf Club through the year! Next month, we look forward to ditch clean-up, St. Francis Food Drive, and crushing the competition at Club Olympics once again!Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Anoka Northern Star, March 2018The Northern Stars 4-H Club met at Bunker Hills Activity Center in Andover for cross-country skiing in March. Our group was a combination of experienced and inexperienced skiers, so everyone was excited to be there. I was one of the inexperienced club members who was glad to see that Bunker Hills supplied everything we needed which included skis, poles, boots and an instructor during our visit. Since there was plenty of snow on the ground, it was easy to fit our skis into the snow tracks and glide along the trail. One icy hill was a challenge so we were taught how to put our skis into a snowplow position in order to get down. I also learned that snow-pants are not needed when cross-country skiing since all of the exercise can make you really hot. Over all I had a great time!Submitted by Erin Storhaug, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, March 2018The Cloverleaf Club had a fun March. On the eighth, several families from our club went to Feed my Starving Children to pack meals for the poor. This is one of our club’s many service projects that we participate in over the year. On the tenth, several club members took part in project bowls at regional competitions. Participating project bowls included dog, horse, wildlife, dairy and more. Several teams with Cloverleaf Club members in them will be going on to state championships. At Share the Fun, our club did an AMAZING job and took second place!!! Next month we look forward to ditch clean-up on the fourteenth and a club meeting on the twelfth.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Anoka Northern Star, February 2018This February, the Anoka Northern Stars 4-H Club went to the Andover Fire and Rescue Station 1. We learned that fire trucks can be different colors for different towns. Andover has modern red trucks, but Anoka has white trucks in memory of the white horses that pulled the water wagons in the old days. The most dangerous job of a firefighter is being on the truck because when the long and heavy truck is moving fast it sometimes flips over or gets in an accident with other vehicles. We also learned that the inside of a burning building it can get up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Before they fight the fire, they do “Buddy Checks” to make sure they have no exposed skin. Everything has to be covered by fireproof clothing. Since, oxygen is flammable, they use air in their tanks instead of pure oxygen to breathe. The firetruck is prepared with other items too. If there is an emergency on water, there is a boat that inflates in 60 seconds. They also have an inflatable suit that up to 12 emerged people can cling to in order to stay above water. Finally, our group learned how to do Bystander CPR in three steps: First, call 911 to get help. Second, use to the AED to shock the heart to get it to beat. Third, lock your elbows and push down above the sternum to help the blood flow and even if you’re not doing it correctly you should still try because it could save a life! Firefighter Kristie Wisniewski said that she wanted to be a firefighter since she was a child and she could teach us about firefighting all day. We were very grateful that she reached out to our group and taught us some of the things she has learned. I think everyone should learn about these things. I’m glad I went.Submitted by Erin Storhaug, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, February 2018The Cloverleaf Club had a great February! We had a meeting on the eighth. Some firemen from Oak Grove gave us a tour of the firehouse. We got to go into a firetruck and see all their equipment. They did a presentation for us about their job in the community. Also at the meeting, Jayda and Andrew Francis did demos for us. We learned the perfect recipe for healthy lemonade from Jayda, and Andrew taught us how to make yarn snowballs. They both did a great job! In recent county events, our club has made quite a showing. On the twenty-seventh, twelve people from our club participated in the Communication Arts Contest. And next month, the Regional Wildlife Bowl Competitions are taking place in Hastings. More than a dozen kids from our Club will be attending and competing. Next month, we are excited to be volunteering as a club at Feed my Starving Children.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, January 2018The Cloverleaf Club had a busy January. This month, county project bowls began. The Cloverleaf Club is well represented in them, especially in Wildlife Bowl. We had a super fun weekend at Club Camp, January 13-14. Our theme was healthy living (nutrition, exercise, and safety). We learned how to preserve and freeze fresh fruits and vegetables. We created environment-safe cleaners for our homes. We learned several First-Aid techniques as well. We also played games, created Club banner designs, went on nature hikes, and more! Next month, we look forward to more fun as we participate in our winter social, the Communication Arts Contest (Cloverleaf is always well represented), and Project Workshop Day.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, January 2018The January meeting was held at the YMCA on January 14th at 4:00 p.m. Demonstration was held by the Schwartz family. Recreation was by the Peterson family. The club also went snow tubing on January 28th at Elm Creek Park.Submitted by Alexis Sanderson, Club Reporter

Anoka Northern Star, December 2017On December 1, 2017 our 4-H Club, the Anoka Northern Stars, visited The Willows of Ham Lake Senior Community. Lemonade and home-baked Christmas treats were served while our club members entertained everyone with stories and Christmas performances on the piano, flute, and guitar. After a few rounds of Christmas Bingo, our whole club sang some familiar Christmas songs for the residents and most sang with us. James Storhaug, an 8th grader from Andover said, “It was a great way to start off Christmas with multi-generations. I liked the treats and good company of friends. The people who performed did a really nice job. It seemed to take a lot of hard work and courage to step up in front of the whole group. I didn’t perform this year but possibly next year I could play something on the piano. Overall, it was a good time.” I would agree that the visit was a success. I enjoyed playing Bingo with the residents. It would be a great idea to come back next year.Submitted by Erin Storhaug, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, December 2017The Cloverleaf Club had a fun December. On the 14th, we had a potluck Christmas party at Bunker Activity Center. There were crafts, games, and lots of people! The youth leaders spent some time planning activities for our upcoming Club Camp in January. Ideas included a game of capture the flag, a canning workshop, and first aid training. The party was a success, with almost sixty people in attendance. We hope to turn this into a yearly tradition for our club. On the 16th, we participated in Christmas food baskets and caroling at Epiphany Catholic Church. We packed over two hundred boxes of food and presents for those in need in our area. Afterwards, we went to Epiphany Pines nursing home, and caroled for the residents there. We look forward to more fun in January, especially our annual Club Camp!Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, December 2017The Lamplighters are ending the year with a bang. We started off this holiday season by doing bell ringing for the salvation army on the second of December. The next day we had our monthly meeting at the YMCA t 4:00 p.m. Recreation was lead by the Lewandowski's where they played a fun game. Demonstration, lead by John Peach where he showed us a fun way to dye eggs. Refreshments were by the Schwartz. The rest of the year we all enjoyed our winter break.Submitted by Alexis Sanderson, Club Reporter

Anoka Northern Star, November 2017On Friday November 3, 2017, the Anoka Northern Stars 4-H Club visited Andover City Hall where we met Mayor Julie Trude. She took some time to teach us about the things she does as Mayor and gave us her best ideas for campaigning, “A successful way to campaign is to go door to door so you can connect with people and hear about their concerns.” She also told us that she makes the agenda for the City Council’s weekly meeting when they discuss city concerns and pass laws that regulate how the city looks and operates. I thought the best part of the visit was when our club officers sat in the City Council member’s chairs for our 4-H meeting. Mayor Trude guided us through the order of the meeting using Robert’s Rules of Order and we all learned a lot. After our club meeting at City Hall, we walked down the street to the Andover Public Works building where we learned about the city water treatment process. During our tour, Utilities Manager Brian Kraabal showed us how the city water is pumped from 6 wells in the winter and 8 wells in the summer at up to 2500 gallons per minute! It was impressive. He told us that Andover uses about 6-8 million gallons of water per day in peak season. The treatment of the water in Andover removes iron and manganese. Our club President, Julia Bishop, shook Mayor Trude’s hand and thanked her for the work she does for the city as well as the time she took to teach our club about city operations. Julia said, “I absolutely loved our trip to City Hall and the Water Treatment Plant. It was so captivating and interesting to hear what the Mayor actually does. My grandfather was actually Mayor of his small town, and it was great to hear what he would have been doing as Mayor. I thought it was just so fun and an honor that we got to sit up at the official table! That was amazing to get a feel of what it would be like to run a meeting as Mayor. Who knows, maybe one day I would have the passion to run for Mayor and be seated in one of those honorable seats again! The Water Treatment Plant was also very interesting to visit, I have always wondered what happens to our water before it gets to us, and I liked to hear about and see all of the processes.”Submitted by Erin Storhaug, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, November 2017The Cloverleaf Club had lots of fun this November. On the ninth, our club meeting, we learned about how to eat healthy from a local organic farmer. Later in the month, several club members attended county officer training. They learned how to become better youth leaders. This month was also our Thanksgiving food baskets at Epiphany Catholic Church. We filled over two hundred baskets with turkey, stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, apples, pickles, bread, and more. We then carried the boxes out to the cars of the people receiving them. Next month, we look forward to Christmas food baskets (Dec 16), a potluck meeting (Dec 14), and planning for Club Camp in January.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, October 2017The Cloverleaf Club had an awesome October! At our September 12 meeting, we began to divide into our Healthy Living groups. This year each group will be planning fun activities for our club related to Nutrition, Safety, and Exercise. We also conducted our St. Francis High School food collection. On October 14, many of our club members attended the Anoka County 4-H Club Olympics. Our club had four teams this year! One of our teams won second place, another won third, but we all had a great time. Some of the games at Club Olympics included: marshmallow toss, frisbee bowling, sponge relay, and balloon obstacle course. We are excited for Epiphany food baskets and other events next month!Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, October 2017This month our club did Highway cleanup at 181st Avenue. Our club also did Coon Creek cleanup. The club meeting took place at the YMCA on October 1 at 4 p.m. They voted for the club officers. The polls are in! President: Logan L.; Vice president: Isabel P.; Secretary: Megan N.; Treasurer: John P.; Reporter: Lexi S.; Historian: Libby S. and Will L. The Nichols led recreation. They showed the club how to make monster bookmarks. 17 youth participated in the Club Olympics. There was 6 adults that volunteered as well.Submitted by Lexi Sanderson, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, September 2017The Cloverleaf Club had a summer and start to a new school year in September! Congratulations to the many members of our club who presented projects and participated in performing arts at the Minnesota State Fair this year. A special congratulations to Grand Champion winners Gabrielle Brounstein, Caleb Brostrom, and Maria Brounstein. Our club banner was also shown at fair (second year in a row) and got a blue ribbon. At our September 14 meeting, we conducted our yearly club elections. Our new officers are: President AnnElise Brostrom, Vice President Grant Paulson, Secretary Brooke Paulson, Treasurers Maria Brounstein and Eva Meyers, Sergeants at Arms Gabrielle Brounstein, Rebecca Marti, Ian Brostrom, and Caleb Brostrom. On September 23, our club worked hard doing ditch cleanup, despite the hot weather. :) We are excited for Club Olympics, Saint Francis Food Drive, and more in October!Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, September 2017The new 4H year has started off real smoothly for the Anoka County Lamplighers. Their first meeting of the year was held 2 weeks late, on September 17th at the Andover YMCA, due to the MN State Fair and State Shoot. Anne J. showed the club how to make slime using borax, shaving cream, and some other household ingredients. Megan N. led a recreation outside, the club split into different groups and had to use teamwork to find certain outdoor items such as, a stick, leaves, pinecones, or a flower. The club had lots of fun and were rewarded with suckers afterwards. Each existing club officer also gave a small expert of what they did in their position to help with elections during the October meeting.Some of the club families participated in State Shoot this year in Fairmont, MN. They were joined by many other Mn Counties as well as other Anoka county clubs. The Anoka county families got together and had a potluck dinner and the kids got to enjoy a very large game of kickball. The Lamplighter families that went said that they had an amazing time meeting other Anoka families and other counties as well. Overall the Lamplighters are off to a great start to their 2017 - 2018 4H year!Submitted by Logan Lewandowski, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, June - August 2017Boy have the Lamplighters had a packed summer. Fairs and prepping for said fairs have been keeping the Lamplighters busy. They had their last meeting filled with goats and the start of the County Fair prep on June 4th at the Andover YMCA. As an education club members who have judged at the Anoka County Fair before, told the other club members about their experiences and also answered some questions. The Pipp family brought in their baby goats for a demonstration about the pros and cons or nursing a baby goat or letting it stay with its mother. On July 1 the Lamplighters got together and painted their new logo and a new slogan, “Not Just Cows and Pigs”, on the sides of their Andover Family Fun Fest parade float. Adding some expertly placed hand prints, and a couple banners from previous years, their float was ready to be towed by a bright, red tractor, driven by Mr. Schilling. On July 8th the Lamplighters met at the Andover High School parking lot along with the other Family Fun Fest parade floats. To get ready for the parade. They handed out tons of candy and other fun knick-knacks. For the rest of July the club was busy working on their Anoka County Fair projects. Including the Club’s Container Garden, Scrapbook, and Banner, which were awarded with a Grand champion, a Merit award, and a Blue ribbon. Some of the members from the club will get the chance to take their projects to the Minnesota State Fair to be judged against other projects from other MN county’s. The club signed us for a night to help clean up the 4H Building at the Anoka County Fair and were put to work stacking chairs, sweeping and taking out the trash. The club’s skit, The Mouse and The Hat, was performed by the Lamplighters at the Anoka County Fair. Since they took second place within Anoka County they will get to perform with other MN County’s at the MN State Fair in September as well. Many members of the Lamplighter club participated in County Arts-In which involved many practices but a very fun and enjoyable end result. They performed at the Anoka County Fair and will perform again at The MN State Fair. After the County Fair was all cleaned up and done with, the Lamplighters finally got a chance to sit back and relax with no more projects to worry about. Until August 20, when the annual club fundraiser took place. Lamplighter families donated food and signed up for shifts to work a concession stand to sell at the Voyager Cup Archery Tournament in Rogers, Minnesota. They sold hot dogs, hamburgers, Gatorade, soda and other snacks. Up next on the Lamplighters list, is the Minnesota State Fair where there will be singing and dancing with Arts-In, acting with State Share-The-Fun, judging, and lots and lots of food!.Submitted by Logan Lewandowski, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, May 2017The Cloverleaf Club had a busy May! On the sixth, our adult leader Lara Newberger and treasurer Gabi Brounstein lead the first ever Anoka Environmental Fun Fair at Springbrook Nature Center. Many members of our club volunteered to help out and it was a huge success! There were about 190 people that attended and all had fun! The fair included crafts, information tables, presenters, live animals, and more. A huge thank you to all who helped out and attended! The eleventh was our monthly club meeting. Brook Paulson did an excellent Demo on the Dog Project. Next month, we are excited for a club trip to the Arboretum and new bee center. We will also be having a summer cookout to work on the banner and scrapbook for fair. We send good wishes to all the high school graduates in our club. A special thanks to Michael Larson for faithfully serving our club as president for the last two years. You will be missed next year!.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, April 2017The Cloverleaf 4-H Club had a great April! Our club performed a the Share The Fun Competition. We did a skit based on the book Swimmy, by Leo Lionni. On the April 8th, several club members competed in the State Project Bowl Championships. Everyone had LOTS of fun. The senior wildlife team (with club members AnnElise Brostrom and Natalie Urban) won champion and will be going to Nationals in Georgia. On April 22nd, Earth Day, our club helped to make our world better by doing our semi-annual ditch cleanup. We are looking forward to more fun in April, especially at the Anoka County Environmental Fun Fair on May 6th. The chairs of this event are our Cloverleaf treasurer Gabrielle Brounstein and adult leader Lara Newberger. Many of our club members will be volunteering to help out at this great new event. To learn more about the E-Fair, or to sign up as a volunteer, check out its page on the events tab of the Anoka County 4-H website.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, March 2017The Cloverleaf Club had a super fun March! Our club meeting this month was a game night and snack potluck. Everyone brought board games and snacks. It was such a success that we have decided to make it a yearly tradition. In the county, regional project bowls were this month. Our club is very involved in all of the Project Bowls, especially Wildlife. Many of our club members are on teams that made it to state championships, which are in April. This month our club began work and practice for Share The Fun. We decided on an underwater theme. Our club has had lots of fun practicing our skit. We look forward to the fun activities that are planned for April.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, March 2017March of 2017 has been filled with rehearsals and prop making sessions getting ready for Share The Fun on April 1st. Even during their March meeting after Claire M demonstrated “How to Clean a Chicken Coop”, the Lamplighters were busy at work preparing props for their skit. All the practicing and rehearsing payed off and their “Mouse and the Hat” skit placed 2nd in the Club Specialty Acts category and is going to be performed at the Anoka County Fair and the Minnesota State Fair. Their other skit called, “County Fair”, based on a parody of the song, also placed 5th in the Club Specialty Acts category. There were also many individual acts that included kids from the Lamplighter club including: Dances - A Ribbon Dance by Megan N; Vocal solos - One Piece at a Time” by John P & “Hallelujah” by Alexis S; Stories - “The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin” with Isabelle P; Instrumental Performances - “Dragon Slayer” with William and Logan L, and Megan P &“Dona Nobis Pacem” by Isabelle P.Submitted by Logan Lewandowski, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, February 2017The Cloverleaf Club had an awesome February! At our monthly meeting, we had an aerospace demonstration by one of our club members. We also brainstormed ideas for our club Share The Fun skit this year. Later in the month, many members of our club taught at and attended the Anoka County 4-H Project Workshop Day. The classes that were taught by our club were on topics such as: nutrition, sewing, chemistry, and wildlife. In addition to teaching classes, club members helped out at the Wild Game Feed and the 4-H information table. At the end of the month, the Cloverleaf Club participated in the annual Communication Arts Contest doing speeches and non-verbal projects. The Cloverleaf Club had more participants in this competition than any other club in the county! Coming up next month, our club has decided to have a fun game night and potluck.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, February 2017February for the Lamplighters has been quite a relaxing one. On the 12th we had our monthly meeting, Alexis S. taught us all about heart worm in dogs and other animals. The Blair's showed us how to make great Valentines Day cards using just white crayons, card stock and watercolor paints. The Lamplighters went on their yearly club event of either snow tubing or bowling. Because of the lack of snow, they went bowling at Andover Lanes.Submitted by Logan Lewandowski, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, January 2017The Cloverleaf Club had an awesome January! On January thirteenth and fourteenth, we went to Camp Sallie for our annual winter club camp. Our theme this year was Citizenship and Leadership. For crafts, we made American flag pins and patriotic paracord bracelets. Also, we created a big paper chain flag. On each strip of the flag we brainstormed ways that we good be good citizens and leaders in our families/club/communities/country/world. For a break outside, we did a United States symbols scavenger hunt in the snow. Other activities included a guess that president game costume game, United States geography Bingo, and United States Pictionary. It was great fun for all that attended! Coming up in February, the Cloverleaf Club will be going to Feed my Starving Children and many of our club members will be helping out at Project Workshop Day.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, December 2016 & January 2017This 2016-17 New Year has been very cold. The Lamplighters volunteered at the local Kings County Market and rang bells to raise donations for the Salvation Army. Though it was cold we raised over 600 dollars by the end of the day. During the December meeting Logan L. ran a demonstration and recreation on making holiday ornaments. Tina N. taught them about setting goals for the new 4-H year as well as in real life. This meeting was held at the Andover YMCA at 4pm on December 4th. The January meeting was on January 25th at the YMCA in Andover at 4pm. The Nicholls did a demonstration on making winter scenes out of cotton balls and paper. The kids got to try it out for themselves afterwards. They also got a special tour of the Coon Rapids Police Station.Submitted by Logan Lewandowski, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, December 2016The Cloverleaf Club enjoyed several fun Christmas activities this December. On the 17th, we participated in packing food baskets for the poor at Epiphany church. We filled the boxes with bread, celery, apples, cake, canned foods, pasta, peanut butter, and more. In addition to the food boxes, we also helped put together bags of presents for the people receiving the food. We carried their food and gifts out to their cars for them. Later, we went caroling at Pines, an assisted living senior center. We brought the residents cookies/cider and we sang for them. In January, we are looking forward to our annual winter club camp at Camp Sally. Our theme this year is Citizenship and Leadership. Congratulations to our winners of the 4-H Excellence Awards: AnnElise Brostrom, Maggie Brostrom, and Grant Paulson.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, November 2016The Cloverleaf Club had a November filled with learning and service. On November 5, we held a buckthorn pull near Bunker Hills Regional Park in Andover. We learned how to identify and remove buckthorn which is an invasive plant in Minnesota. The following week, we had a special STEM themed monthly meeting. We were able to see two airplanes in the process of being built and look at the moon through a telescope. Later in the month, some of our club members assembled Thanksgiving food baskets at Epiphany Catholic Church. We filled large boxes with food such as: cranberries, desserts, stuffing, gravy mix, vegetables, bread, and a turkey. We finished each box with a homemade Thanksgiving pictures. Later, our club members carried the baskets out to the family’s cars for them. We are looking forward to next month’s events which include Christmas food baskets and caroling for seniors.Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, October & November 2016In the fall months of 2016, the Lamplighters participated in a number of things. They organized a time in which the club picked up the trash on a section of County Rd 58. About a week later they also took canoes down Coon Creek and picked up trash there as well. Their October meeting took place at the YMCA in Andover on October 2nd at 4pm. In their meeting they Voted for the new club officers. Their President is Isabelle P., Vice President is Megan P., Treasurer is Megan N., Secretary is Emma C., Historian is Katelyn O. and Reporter is Logan L. The Popsun's led a recreation where the club members made Solo Cup jack-o-lanterns and Frankenstein’s. Their November meeting was also at the YMCA in Andover on November 6th at 4pm. During this meeting there was a recreation by William L. he brought supplies to make macaroni trees. Katherine P. did a demonstration on How to Milk a Goat. All and all they were very fun meetings. The club also participated in county events. In October, some of the club participated in the yearly Club Olympics. It’s where all the clubs from around the district compete in small challenges and games. It helps build team working and communication skills. After all the new officers were elected in October, the new officers attended an officer training class on the 15th of October. Over all, the Lamplighters had a great start to their 2016-17 4-H year.Submitted by Logan Lewandowski, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, October 2016The Cloverleaf 4-H Club had an awesome October! This month, we had a food collection drive for St. Francis schools. We also participated in the Anoka County Club Olympics. We were represented in three teams, one of which won first place. It was lots of silly fun for everyone! We had our monthly meeting on October 13. It was very well attended and there was a lot of interesting things to talk about. We had to find extra chairs, and some people had to sit on the floor! Mike Larson and Gabi Brounstein did presentations on fishing knots and wildlife. We are looking forward to November events that include: a Buckthorn pull on November 5, a STEM themed meeting on November 10, and Epiphany Food Baskets on November 19. Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, September 2016The Cloverleaf Club got off to a great start this Fall. During our August planning meeting, the club decided that our theme for this year will be Good Citizenship. We also planned the year’s calendar. Some events for this year will be: a bowling meeting, STEM meeting, community service projects, a winter social, and a visit to the Arboretum in spring. This year our youth, 6th grade and up, will be leading small project classes at each meeting to encourage our younger members to try new project areas. During our September club meeting, we voted on our officers for the year and welcomed some new members. Later in the month, members of club created a display for National 4-H Week at the Anoka County North Central Library. Our club also did ditch cleanup on a county roadway. The Cloverleaf Club looks forward to next month’s events which will include county club Olympics and a food drive collection for St. Francis High School. Submitted by Maria Brounstein, Club Reporter

Lamplighters, September 2016The Lamplighters had a very successful time at the Anoka County Fair. We received blue ribbons for our banner and container garden and an Award of Merit for our scrapbook. Our club fundraiser in June was very profitable and we participated in the Andover Fun Fest parade. This year was the first year our club earned Clover Bucks which could be redeemed at the Clover Shop! Our September service project was the cleaning of Coon Creek and on October 9 we will clean our section for Adopt-A-Highway. We also have two teams participating in Club Olympics. Our next meeting will be November 6 at the Andover YMCA. Come and check out the fun!Submitted by Emily Pipp, Club Reporter

Anoka Northern Star, April 2016On April first 2016 the Anoka Northern Stars held a meeting at the Bunker Hills Activity Center. Everyone enjoyed demonstrations about Kendamas, yo-yos and how to decorate kitty cupcakes. We all got a chance to try the Kendamas and yo-yos as well as enjoy our own cupcakes. Afterwards we played some games and had a great time.

Lamplighters, March/April 2016The Lamplighters were busy in the months of March and April. We had a member on Dog Project Bowl whose team was undefeated at the Regional contest. We also had two members in Rabbit Project Bowl whose team placed fourth in the Regional contest. Our club performed a skit, “The Beast at the End of this Book” at Share The Fun. We had many members with great individual acts, as well. Our club activity for April is Feed My Starving children, and our community service project is Adopt-A-Highway. It looks like a busy spring for the Lamplighters!

Dandy Linos, December 2015On December 4, 2015, the Dandy Linos headed out in the cold to carol for elderly people living near St Joe's. Before the club went caroling, there was the option to make a snow globe by attaching small ornaments to the lid of a mason jar, then filling the jar with water and glitter. After the party, the club headed back to St Joe's for lots of delicious food and a sock exchange.

Lamplighters, November 2015The Lamplighters Club has been busy during the month of October. Our club participated in Club Olympics and had a really fun time! All of our new officers attended the officer training on Halloween and participated in a mock meeting. At our club’s monthly meeting, we voted on approval of “Clover bucks”… a neat way to earn money to spend in the Clover Shop at the County Fair. We also voted on (and approved) our annual budget. Our meeting ended with recreation taught by Will Lewandowski about making Thanksgiving people out of toilet paper rolls to decorate the table.

Submitted by: Emily Pipp, Club Reporter

Lino Lakers, November 2015At our November meeting , we had a fun craft for kids. Talked about our upcoming events. The last thing we did was elected officers.Congrats to our new officers:President ~ Allison PowersSecretary ~ Abbi EvensTreasure ~ Kyle BloodReporter ~ Hannah NordlundCloverbud manager ~ Natalie PetersonVice President ~ Jenna Peterson~ Written by Hannah Nordlund (Reporter)

Dandy Linos, November 2015The Dandy Linos 4-H Club hosted a Horse Fun Show at the Anoka County Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 17. It was in memory of Anne Nicholson, a 26 year old 4-H Dandy Linos alumni and horse enthusiast, who passed away on June 7, 2015. The club worked hard to bring this event together volunteering their time and energy in the arena and providing potluck food and beverages. Taylor Nelson-Miller sang the National Anthem while Aaron Goldade patriotically presented the flag on horseback. Stephanie Falkers was the show announcer and read a poem in honor of Anne. A club member and dear family friend, Jenna James, rode Anne’s beloved pony, Rosie. More than 50 horse and rider combinations rode hard and fast in a fun-filled day. Anne’s dad, Bruce, competed in the adult classes and the family plans to donate the proceeds of over $700 back to the Anoka County 4-H Horse Project. We thank everyone who came out to join in doing “what Anne loved to do best.”

Submitted by: Leah Goldade

Lamplighters, September 2015

The Lamplighters Club has been busy during the month of September. We had our first meeting of the year on September 13 and we discussed our County Fair projects. Our club scrapbook and banner both won Awards of Merit, and our planter garden won a blue ribbon. Our club participated in a clean-up of Coon Creek on September 20 and we cleaned our section of County Road 58 for Adopt-A-Highway on September 27. We also signed up for the upcoming Club Olympics. It looks like Lamplighters are off to another exciting year!

Submitted by: Emily Pipp, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, July 2014 - January 2015Over the past few months, the Cloverleaf club has been completing many tasks and thinking of more projects to do. In July, many Cloverleaf members brought interesting projects to the fair. Some made it to state to show off their work! Adventurous youth leaders kayaked down the Kinnickinnic River in September. A food drive for St. Francis High School was also executed by these leaders. Club Olympics earned us a first, a fifth and an eighth place. We did our biannual highway ditch cleanup. In November and December, the club members headed to Epiphany church to package boxes of food for families. They also sang carols at Epiphany Pines in December. In January, the members had a club camp, and the clothing camp is approaching. Each meeting, members do many demonstrations. This year, our theme is safety, and we’ve learned a lot about things like swim safety to ice fishing safety. Many more projects are planned for months ahead. The Cloverleaf club will continue to participate and organize other helpful projects and fun activities for their members. Submitted by: Brooke Paulson

Anoka Northern Star, December 2014On Dec. 5, the Anoka Northern Stars 4-H club had the chance to give to others for the Christmas season. They made a whopping 71 sandwiches to donate to the Sandwich Project, which gives food to the homeless in Minneapolis. They also made beautiful Christmas cards for the soldiers overseas who couldn’t be home for the holidays. Between the stickers, markers, and imaginations, that colorful pile wasn’t easy to miss! Just knowing that it was helpful was a gift enough, but the Northern Stars were rewarded with a warm thank-you from the unit who had received their gifts. Giving gifts is often thought of as better than receiving, and hopefully these 4-H’ers inspire many to give the gift of caring in the future.Submitted by: Caitlin Olgesbee

River Raiders, December 2014Before the meeting began we tied 7 fleece blankets to donate to A.C.B.C. During the meeting a motion was passed to give $125 to the Coon Rapids United Methodist Church for letting us use the space to hold the meeting. The Cloverbud activities were led by Cheryl and Zoe Griese and demonstrations were done by Brandon Judd on rabbit furs and Zoe Griese on how to care for a guinea pig. After the meeting there was a white elephant gift exchange.Submitted by: Mackenzi Sewell

Whistling Workers, October 2014The Whistling Workers held their open house on October 13 at the East Bethel Senior Center. Members discussed projects they completed over the previous year and displayed ribbons and trophies received for those projects from the Anoka County and State Fairs. As part of the open house, kids enjoyed designing chutes and mazes, on a felt board, for a marble to pass through. We also made rockets and of course had treats. A short meeting was held by President Laura Wyatt. A fall hay ride and retreat to Camp Salie were planned.Meetings are held at East Bethel Senior Center on the 2nd Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Interested in 4-H, call the Anoka County Extension Office at 763-755-1280 or come to our next meeting.Submitted by: Katrina Johnson, Club Reporter, Whistling Workers

Cloverleaf, December 2013 - May 2014The Cloverleaf 4-H club has been planning and participating in many helpful service projects throughout these past few months. In December, they boxed Christmas meals and cards for families, and went around caroling. In February, many Cloverleaf 4-H'ers brought projects to share and make in Project Workshop Day, including one about owls, and another one to teach 4-H'ers how to make yarn scarves. Many Cloverleaf club members participated in all categories of the Communication Arts Contest. In March, the club decorated Sterling House in Blaine, had fun with the residents, and frosted cookies. In May, we cleaned the ditches along Viking and participated in Feed My Starving Children. The activities won’t stop there! The Cloverleaf 4-H club continues doing many fun and helpful things together. By the way, if any of you are missing a TV remote control, talk to our club! We found one in the ditch… Submitted by: Brooke Paulson, Club Reporter

Cloverleaf, March 2014"What Does The Fox Say?" The Cloverleaf club helped people find out at Share The Fun in March! Their idea for a skit involved the popular Fox Song, as well as provided interesting fox facts. It started at an Exploring Animals Project Meeting all on foxes, and one 4-H'er had an intriguing question. What does the fox say? The Cloverleaf club broke out in dance and song, dancing along for each sound the fox made in the song, all in costume! Each participating club member chose an animal in the song and became that animal in their costume! All the dancing exhausted the 4-H'ers, and they collapsed to the floor, ready to be finished. But the 4-H'er who had asked the question, still didn’t have an answer! The meeting leader was about to tell him an answer from the song, when a professor burst on stage, and explained it for the 4-H'er. The meeting leader was glad he’d stepped up to explain what the fox actually said, but then she had another animal sounds question for him. What does the platypus say? Not another number! The 4-H'ers dashed off stage, not wanting to exhaust themselves with more dancing again! They’d already answered the fox question with a skit! Now that they know what the fox says, they had completed their Share The Fun skit!Submitted by: Brooke Paulson, Club Reporter